Boiler cleaner



March 1 5, 1932.

N. 1., SNOW BOILER. CLEANER Filed May 5, 1,924 5 Sheets-Sheet March 15, 1932. N. 1.. SNOW BOILER CLEANER 5 Sheets-Sheet -2 Filed May 5, 3.924

95 WW AAJM March 15, 1932. N. L. s Now v BOILER CLEANER Filed May 5. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .March 15, 1932.

N. L. SNOW BOILER CLEANER Filed May 5, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 15, 1 932.

N. L. SNOW 1,849,853

BOILER CLEANER Filed May 5, 1,924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sci-011m Patented Mar. 15, 1932 unrrso STATES NORMAN L. SNOW, E DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

PATENT ori ice AssIGNoR 'ro DIAMOND rowan SPECIALTY CORPORATION, OF DETRoI'r, MICHIGAN, A ooRrioR-AT'IoN or MICHIGAN BOILER CLEANER Application filed May 5,

This invention relates to boiler cleaners and among the objects of the invention are to provide an improved apparatus for cleanlng boilers. I

In the drawings which illustrate various embodiments of my invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through one of the boiler cleaners;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the construction shown in Figure 1 taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sideelevational view of a still further modification; V

Figure 4 is a view on the line 44 of Figure 3; V

Figure 5 is a cross section of the trigger taken along the line 55 of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the cam and trigger just before the cam drops OK the trigger toclose the valve 7 Figure 7 is a cross section on the line .77 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is an end elevational view; Figure 9 is a side elevational view show- 5 ing a still further modification;

Figure 10 is an end elevational view;

Figure 11 is a top plan view showing a still further modification.

Describing first the particular embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, 14 designates a rotary soot blower tube having discharge nozzles 15 through which jets of steam or suitable cleaning fluid are discharged to clean the surfaces of the boiler tubes 16 or other parts to be cleaned. Steam to the blower tube is supplied through a chamber 17 formed by the chamber casing 17a in which chamber is located a valve 18.

I The operation is as follows: The chain 19 is pulled, rotating the blower tube 14 through the interengaging gears 29 and 28, the former of which is fixed to the chain sheave wheel shaft 29a and the latter to blower tube 14. This rotates the valve seat casing 20, the cover plate 21 and the valve 18. The cover plate 21 is secured to casing by studs 22a, the plate being spaced from the casing by sleeves 22b. The valve 18 is carried by a pin 22 extending through the cover plate 21'to the valve seat casing 20. On continued rotation 1924. Serial No. 711,263.

18 which projection was formerly in the recess 23 then rides on the surface 26 of the valve chamber maintaining the valve in the open swung position. In this position the valve is open and the blower pipe 14 is free to rotate until one of the stops 27 fastened to Y the gear wheel 28 comes into contact with, the pinion 29. In this position the valve is still open and in order to close the valve the pull on the chain 19 has to be reversed and the rotation of the element reversed, rotation H continuing until the projecting end 18a of the valve, which slightly projects beyond the cover plate 21, hits the top of the lug 20, continued rotation pushing-it back into the recess 23 to swing the valve into the original closed position.

As the valve mechanism above decribed is inclosed in a casing, there is nothing on the outside of the boiler to indicate the closed position, particularly as the blower pipe is 0 often located high up on the boiler. Therefore, the operator might pull the chain and coming up against a hard point of operation,

think he had reached the closed position of the valve. In order to avoid this objectionable feature I have provided a novel arrangement whereby the mechanism indicates definitely to the operator when the valve is closed. As shown in Figure 2, the operating chain 19 has a ball or enlargement 31. When the valve is in closed position the ball 31 will engage a hook32 secured in some suitable position as to the boiler wall by means of the bolts 33. Therefore, the operator, byalways bringing the ballbaok into engagement with the hook, will know that the complete opera tion of the blower pipe has taken place. IVhile I have shown and described one mechanism for indicating when the'valve is closed, it is obvious that various other mech- 'anisms'could be employed for this purpose without departure from this feature of my invention.

Describing the constructions shown in Figures 3 to 7 inclusive l l designates the blower pipe which is illustrated in all of the figures in all modification ssimilar to Figure 1. This blower pipe is rotated by means of the chain 66 in the manner previously described in connection with the other constructions, which chain extends over a sheave wheel 67 which drives a gear wheel 68 that carries a cam 69.

This cam 69 is made with a raised portion 77 adjacent one end thereof as shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figures 3 and 4 this raised portion 77 engages the face 7 0a of trigger 70 after the valve has been fully opened and at the beginning of the blowing cycle of the unit. In opening the valve, the

face 71 of the trigger contacts with the/down? wardly facing edge 7 5 of the cam 69 pushing the trigger outwardly. and depressing the valve stem 90 to open the valve 72. This construction is in accordance with the structure shown in various copendin applications of raised Jortion 7 7. i The tri 'er' as indicated 7 in Figure 5 and also in Figure 3, is formed Wlth a depressedportion 7 4 which, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, is tapered gradually to meet the lower part of face 71. 'On

the return trip of the trigger, the edge of this tapered portion74 contacts with the corner 77a of the raised surface of the cam, causing the triggerto swing outwardly to the left in 'Figure 3. This causes the portion 71 of the trigger, namely, the high portion, to ride entirely ofi? of the surface of cam 69, the tapered portion 7.4 of the trigger now riding on the portion "('3 of the cam. The positionof the parts is shown in Figure 6 just before the .triggeris ready to snap es of the cam.

As pointed out in discussing the valve opening, the face 7 5 of the cam rides up the broad face 71' of the trigger causing the valve to open gradually. The reverse effect now described, I have provided a compression fork 8,8!(Similar to that shown in Figs. 1

takes place, inasmuch as this broad face 71 has been pushed off the cam and the tapered face 74 of the triggercoming to a point. is

permitted to snap rapidly off of the portion 73 of thefcam, In order to normally yieldingly hold the trigger to the right in Figure 3, and to permit it to swing to the left when the valve starts to close in the mannerabove spring 79, mounted between the head 797} of bolt 79a and the bearing bracket 7 9b and surrounding the bolt 79a. This bolt is axially slidable, against the compression on'the A spring, in the fixed bracket bearing :7 9?) and is provided with a head 7 9c bearing against trigger O to yieldingly hold the trigger against bracket'79b, thus normally holding the trigger toward the right as'shown in Figurefa. .Trigger 70 has a pivotalbearing on bolt 79a permitting thetriggerto swing toward the left during the valve closing, by reason of an opening'79cl, somewhat larger than the bolt 79a and preferably oppositely flaring to'readily permit the trigger end to by reason ofa projection 79f formed upon the trigger. 1

number of oscillations are completed. This stop mechanism is essentially the same as that shown in Figures 9 and d of my cogpending application, Serial Number 663,002. In the particularfcase shown, the mechanism isset so thatsix cycles must becompleted. *For this purpose the disk 80-is fastened to the face of the gear wheel 68. 8l is a toothed. wheel rotatably mounted on the side of the disk 80 as by a stub shaft 81m and this wheel is urged against the side of the disc by a spring 81y; siX of the spaces 81a between the teeth'of the Stop'mechanism is provided toprevent the valve from closing until a predetermined iilLl wheel 81 are relatively deep while one of the spaces 86 is quite shallow. Pawl 83 is mounted to swing on the sheave wheel shaft'83a. The nose of th s pawl may be so shaped with relation to the sides of notches 81a asto permit the pawl to ride freely over the notches in one direction of travel of the blower tube'l, while causing the notched wheel to travel ahead one notch by reason of engagement of pawl 83 with the point of the not-chin the, opposite direction of travel of the blower tube 14;. A notch is cut in the-disk 80 at 82 and when the pawl 83 drops into this notch 82 further rotation in a counter-clockwise direction is prevented. In this position of the parts shown the blower pipe 14, cannot be I turned counter-clockwisethat is, th e valve the valve 72 may then close. Means is thus provided to keep, the valve fronrfClosing throughout a predetermined number of oscil:

latory .cyclesfi A ball'87 on the operating chain 66 will thenhave been pulled under the 2) on the side of the boiler so that the operator knows the valve 7 2 is closed and the blowing has been completed. In starting the next blowing operation the ball 87 is unhooked from the fork 88 and the valve is opened by turning the blower pipe 14 in a clockwise direction. The oscillations are continued in each direction to the limit of movement until the toothed disk 81 is in the position shown in Figure 4. The operation from this point is then as above described. The stop 84 may beset in any one of the holes 89 provided in the disk so as to limit the oscillations to the desired blowing are for the blower pipe. Another feature of the invention shown particularly in Figure '4 is the labyrinth packing arrangement around the valve stem. This provides a means for sealing the stem without the use of any soft packing around the valve stem. In the particular illustration of this feature of the invention shown in the drawings the stem 90 of the valve 7 2 fits closely inside the casing 91 and a series of grooves 92 are cut out and spaced apart in this casing.

Describing now the constructions shown in Figs. 8 and 9, which illustrate a modification of the type of mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the blower pipe 14 is similar in this construction to that shown in the previous described constructions. It is, however, driven by a bevel gear 107 through a bevel pinion 108, rod 109 and handwheel 110. 111 is the main body of the blower head which contains the slide valve 112, shown in the closed position in Fig. 15. The rod 109 has a threaded portion 113 on which there is mounted a nut 114. This nut 114 moves up and down on the threaded portion 113 of the rod 109 between the limits allowed by the fixedly mounted member 115 which has projecting lugs 116 and 117 which indicate the open position and the closed position of the controlling valve in the blower unit. The

' nut 114 is prevented from turning because of its flat side 118 engaging against the fiat side of the member 115. In the position shown in Fig. 8 the handwheel 110 has been turned to the limit to rotate the blower pipe in a clockwise direction and the nut 118 has been brought up against the stop 117 giving indication that the valve has been closed.

Describing now in detail the construction shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the blower pipe 14 in this construction is actuated by means of a ratchet device, the slide valve being similar to that shown in connection with Figs. 8 and 9. For operating the blower unit, chains 119 and 119' are alternately pulled, giving a rocking motion to the cradle 120. This cradle carries the reversible pawl 121 adapted to engage the ratchet wheel 122 with which it may be retained in resilient contact in any suitable manner. In the position shown of pawl 121 the ratchet wheel 122 will be turned in a clockwise direction when the chains are actuated. The motion of the cradle 120 is limited by pins 123- and 124 striking the projections 125 and 125 fastened to the main casing. When the lug 126 fastened to the ratchet 122 has made almost a complete revolution it will strike against the gear sector 129 carried by the cradle 120, causing this gear sector to swing and thus to move the pawl 121 so that the other end of this pawl will engage the ratchet 122. Further operation of the cradle 120 will move the ratchet wheel 122 in the opposite direction. Ordinarily, the position of the ball 130 on the chain 119 will operate between the upper and lower positions marked upper position and low position in Fig. 10. The low position is determined by the pin 124 striking the projection 125. The pin 124 is fastened to a sliding member 131 and in turn this sliding member 131 is manipulated by a pin 132 working in a groove 133 in the ratchet wheel 122. This groove 133 is concentric except for one end which moves outwardly from the center as shown in Fig. 10. When the pin 132 is working in the concentric position of the groove 133 the sliding member 131 and the pin 124 will be drawn in somewhat from the position shown in Fig. 11, so that the pin 124 will strike the stop or projection 125 limiting the motion of the cradle 120 so that the ball 130 can only move downward to the low position. When, how-' ever, the ratchet wheel 122 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to the position shown in the drawings and where the valve to the blower pipe 14 will be closed, the pin 132 with the sliding member 131 and the pin 124 will be moved to the outward position shown in Fig. 10 and the pin 124 when the chain 119 is pulled will miss the projection 125 and the ball 130 will then drop to a position under the hook 135 giving indication that the valve to the blower unit 14 is closed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower pipe adapted to discharge jets of cleaning fluid, of a valve for controlling the supply of said cleaning fluid to said pipe, means operable to actuate the'sai'd valve 2 upon the rotation of the blower pipe, and means for rotating said pipe including a member fixed to rotate with the blower pipe, and afiexible operating member engageable with the first said member, and stationary indicating means cooperating with said flexible member for indicatingwhen the valve is in, a position to shut off the supply of cleaning fluid.

2. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower pipe adapted to discharge jets of cleaning fluid, of a valvefor controlling the supply of said cleaning fluid to said pipe, means operable to actuate the valve upon rotation of the blower pipe, and-means for rotating said pipe, including a sheave and a chain operably engaging the sheave, and a stationary member located adjacent the 3 path of the chain and cooperating with a predetermined p-ortion thereof for indicating ,When the valve is in a position to shut off theisupply of cleaning fluid to said pipe.

3. The combination With a rotatable blower pipe and a valve movable relative to said pipe and operable upon rotation of the pipe: to control the flow of cleaning fluid to said pipe, of means for visually indicating When the valve is in closed position, said 15 means including a stationary member and a member movable rectiline'arly of the said stationary member upon rotation of the blower pipe.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. NORMAN L. SNOW. 

